Tiger Woods won his Career Grand Slam at 24 and added 10 more majors. Gary Player completed his at 29 and won three more. The pattern is clear: what follows the Slam defines the legacy.

Rory McIlroy slipped on the green jacket at Augusta National on April 13, 2025. At 35, he became the sixth golfer in history to complete the Career Grand Slam. The celebration lasted months. But on the No Laying Up Podcast this past Sunday, the hosts delivered a different message: the clock just started again.

“Rory and Brooks are tied at five majors,” one of the hosts noted. “And I think Rory’s chance to get to six is way better than Brooks Koepka‘s chance to get to six. And I think it’s important that Rory gets to six somewhat quick before it starts piling up again.”

The warning cuts through the afterglow. McIlroy now shares a number with Brooks Koepka- five major championships each. For those who view the Northern Irishman as generationally superior, the tie sits uncomfortably. And the hosts made it clear: if Rory doesn’t separate himself soon, he risks another prolonged drought. He could “dome himself again for another decade.”

McIlroy’s post-Masters comments suggested liberation. He spoke of feeling “freed up,” of things coming easier now. However, the hosts aren’t convinced. “I’m like, dude, I don’t think that’s how it works with major championships.”

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The skepticism carries weight when placed against history. Of the players who have completed the Career Grand Slam, only those who did so before the age of 33 added more majors afterward. Jack Nicklaus completed his at 26 and won 12 more. Tiger finished at 24 and claimed 10 more. Gary Player, at 29, added three. Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan, who completed theirs at 33 and 40, respectively, never won another.

McIlroy completed his at 35. As such, the historical window for more glory is narrow.

The tie with Koepka matters less as a competitive threat and more as a pressure marker. Koepka left LIV Golf in December 2025, citing family reasons. He won’t be eligible to return to the PGA Tour until August 2026. Until then, his path to major number six runs through just four tournaments with no regular tour reps, no rhythm and no momentum.

Koepka missed the cut at both the 2025 Masters and The Open Championship, with his best major finish being a T12 at the U.S. Open. Having claimed 5 majors between 2017 and 2023, the trajectory has flattened.

Rory’s chance to pull ahead is now. But even if Koepka stalls permanently, the Northern Irishman faces a larger problem.

Scottie Scheffler’s statistical dominance reframes the conversation

The podcast’s sharpest observation had nothing to do with Koepka. It had everything to do with Scottie Scheffler.

“You are not statistically within a shot of Scottie Scheffler on a per-round basis right now,” the hosts said. “Close that gap this year. Even if you don’t win a major, close that.”

The numbers validate the challenge. In 2025, Scheffler led the PGA Tour with a Strokes Gained: Total of 2.667. McIlroy ranked third at 1.736 — a gap of nearly a full stroke per round. Scheffler won six times. Rory won three. Scheffler recorded 17 top-10 finishes. Rory had eight.

And while McIlroy completed his Career Grand Slam, Scheffler won two majors in 2025, the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. He is just a U.S. Open win away from becoming the seventh golfer in history to complete a Grand Slam.

The hosts framed 2026 not as a victory lap but as a proving ground. “How motivated are you?” they asked. “How well are you going to be able to execute on that in an era now where somebody is so very clearly better than you?”

The question lingers. Rory spent a decade as the alpha of his generation. Now he operates in Scheffler’s shadow- statistically outclassed, competitively trailing. The Grand Slam answered one question, but opened several more.

The celebration is over. The defense begins.